Safety delivery receptacle



July 1, 1947.

c, 1. CERNUDA 2,423,372

SAFETY DELIVERY-RECEPTACLE Filed Dec. 12., 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. CA/vu r0 CER/vuoA A TTORA/EX July 1, 1947. c. l. CERNUDA -RECEPTACLE SAFETY! DELIVERY Filed Dec.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Cmvuro CR-ua4 A TTORNEX 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEX y 1947- c. 1. CERNUDA SAFETY DELIVERY-RECEPTACLE Filed Dec.

y 9 1947- c. l. CERNUDA SAFETY DELIVERY-RECEPTACLE -4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 12., 1945 IN V EN TOR. CANUTO CERNl/DA ATi'OR/VEX Patented July 1, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFJCE SAFETY DELIVERY TRECEPTAZLE ,Gan-uto I. Cernuda, Santurce,iPncr-to1i.ico Application December '12, 1945,, Serial No. 634,467

4-Claims.

; l The invention relates to safety delivery receptacles or containers of the wall-cabinet type which are designed to facilitate the safe delivery :by tradesmen, for example, of goods and particularly bottled liquids such as milk and the like,

:at residences and apartments when the occupants thereof :may be absent or at times when it is inconvenient .to receive them directly from the one making delivery.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cabinet or suitable closed receptacle which will facilitate delivery of the desired goods and, also, insure safety of the .goods thus delivered and deposited therein until such time as it maybe convenientto withdraw them.

Another object of the invention is to accommodate one or .a plurality .of bottles or containers for liquid, for example milk, provision being made, also, for the compartment to-retain empty bottles to replace therein the filled ones-in which case the interior will remain unlocked and accessible to the delivery man for replacement with :filled containers.

Still another object of the invention is to pro- 'vide novel automatic locking mechanism whereby the cabinet will become loc'kedupon depositing the goods and closing the receptacle door, so that only authorized-parties may then have access to the interior of the cabinet,

A further object of the invention is :to provide means for enabling the recipient to deposit the :required amount of money in payment of the anticipated .delivery, which money, however, shall not be accessible to the delivery man until such time as the goods have been delivered and the cabinet is closed and automatically locked.

.In carrying out the invention, a suitable casing or cabinet is provided which is designed for attachment to a support such as .a wall; and the said cabinet is equipped with .a forward door to admit of access to its interior for the purpose of removing the delivered goods and also for replacing empty containers. However, after the .goods have once been located upon a .tilta'ble platform within the .cabinet and the door closed and automatically locked, access to the interior will be only by an authorized party through, for example, the use of a key. When the cabinet has been thus sealed, and only then, it is possible to operate a slide member to withdraw previously deposited money from the interior of the cabinet. When the cabinet has been unlocked and the contents removed, the slide is blocked automatically against movement and the door may be "freely opened, as for the purpose of introducing empty Figs. 5 and '6.

'2 containers and depositing money 'for subsequent deliveries.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fi l is "a ,front elevation of-the novel cabinet in closed condition; and Fig. '2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the cabinet with the door in full open position and also a portion of the lower front 'panel of the cabinet broken away.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section, taken on the line 4-4, Fig. "3, with :door'in opened position and no goods located on the platform provided for such goods.

Fig. 5 is 'a front elevation of the cabinet in closed and locked positionshowing two containers for liquid mounted on the platform, the door and lower panel of the cabinet being removed to disclose the interior.

Fig. 6 "is a vertical section taken on the line 66, Fig. 5,, looking in the direction of'the arrows.

Figs. .7 and 8 are "horizontal sections taken respectively on the lines 1-! and 8-8, Fig, *5, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figs. .9 and '10 are fragmentary vertical sections, taken on the lines 99 and -|-0Hl, respectively, "Fig. 8, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, H designates a cabinet or housing constructed of suitable material to protect the contents "which, by way of example, are indicated as a pair of filled milk bottles l2, It is understood, however, that "various containers and contents thereof may be protected by the cabinet, "it being necessary only that one or more adequate springs be used in each case (depending on the capacity of the cabinet) to support a platform 'or false bottom l3 which extends across the bottom of the cabinet. This platform is provided with one or more seats for a container or containers, and it is pivoted along its rear edge to the opposite upstanding arms -l'4;of 'a bracket [5 carried 'bythe actual is slotted as at 23 to pass a hasp element .24. This element is attached to and extends at right angles to the inner face of the said door, and has a slot 23' at its free end adapted for engagement with a locking tooth or element 24 within the cabinet and controlled by the position of the platform, as will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

The lower panel 21 is provided with a horizontally disposed money slot 25, covered normally by the door,said'slot registering with a corresponding slot 26 in a money box 21 carried by the bottom plate I6 on its inner face. The box 21 is open at the bottom, as in being provided with the opening 29, said opening registeringwith a corresponding opening 30 in the bottom plate it. However, there is normally interposed between the two registering openings a slide 3|, guided on the bottom, so that any money deposited in the box 21 will not be accessible until the slide can be pushed inwardly in exerting pressure manually upon its downwardly directed finger piece 312 located externally of the cabinet. a

Such withdrawal may be effected only after the platform had been properly weighted, as in depositing the pair of. containers I2 thereon, and the door closed and automatically looked through the action of the platformall of which will hereinafter be more fully described.

The unlocking of said door 29 is accomplished by means of a lock 35, attached to a side wall as indicatedQand is actuated in the usual manner by means of a. suitable key (not shown) to turn an arm 35 within the cabinet. This arm is designed to engage a lug 36' extending from the underface of the loaded platform [3 to elevate the front portion thereof, which in turn moves upwardly a vertical link 31 pivoted at one end to the platform and at the other to an arm 33 carrying the locking element 24' designed for engagement with the hasp element 24. In so do-. ing, it raises element 24 out of engagement and frees the door so that it may be opened and the goods. removed.

Lockingof the door 129 is accomplished automatically, when the platform is properly loaded by the goods, through an arcuate obstructor member All secured to the bottom of the door and along one side edge thereof, said member having aslot fill directed inwardly from its arcuate edge 42 and adapted to assume a substantially vertical location when the said door is fully closed... In this location the slot is designed to receive a down-turned extension'or laterally projecting finger 43 at the corresponding edge of the platform to permit it to assum a substantially level position. At the same time, the door hecomes locked, also, through the engagement of the hasp element 24 and locking element 24' through the depression of the link 31 as the platform assumes the substantially horizontal position under its load, the strength of the spring l9 being so selected with reference to the load as to effect the desired location of the platform.

The depression of the platform to a substantially horizontal position, also, permits operation of the slide 3| so that any money deposited in the money box 2'! may be removed. So long as the platform [3 is tilted and thedoor 25 is not locked, inward movement of the slide is blocked by an interposed release stop element 45 attached to the under face of the platform for juxtaposition to a release member 46 extending laterally from the slide behind the said box 21 and normally positioned between the inner wall there.

r of and stop element 45 by means of a spring 41.

The release stop element 45, however, is provided with a slot 48 directed inwardly from its edge, said slot being adapted to pass the lateral extension of member 46 when the platform is depressed to an extent to register the said slot with the said extension. The slide may then be pushed in manually sufiiciently to allow money to drop through the opening 39; and upon release of the pressure, the finger piece 32 will be returned to its normal position by the spring l'l to interpose the slide and close the opening 38,

I claim:

1. In a safety delivery receptacle: the combination with a cabinet; of a depressible platform or false bottom hinged along one edge within the cabinet at the bottom thereof; resilient means of predetermined strength located between the true bottom of the cabinet and the platform to maintain the latter, when unloaded, tilted upwardly about its hinged edge; said platform, when loaded with a predetermined load, being adapted to assume a substantially level position; a door hinged to the cabinet at the lower portion of its front wall to seal the cabinet; an obstructor member carried by the door at its lower portion adapted to pass through a slot in the front wall of the cabinet into said cabinet as the door is closed, the obstructor member having an arcuate'edge with an inwardly directed slot; and a lug projecting from the platform positioned to ride over the arcuate edge of the obstructor member until the door is fully closed and adapted then to register with the inwardly directed slot to enter the same for leveling the platform when loaded.

2. The safety delivery receptacle of claim 1, wherein a hasp effects the locking of the door to the cabinet, said hasp being carried by the door and adapted to pass through a slot in an upper stop panel for the door, and a rockable arm is mounted within the cabinet and is provided with a locking element to engage the hasp, said arm being linked to the platform whereby, when the door is closed and the platform is adequately loaded to cause it to assume the level position, the arm will be rocked for engagement of its locking element in the hasp.

3. In a safety delivery receptacle: the combination with a cabinet; of a depressible platform or false bottom hinged along one edge within the cabinet at the bottom thereof, said cabinet bottom being provided with a money-delivery opening; resilient means of predetermined strength located between the true bottom of the cabinet and the platform to maintain the latter, when unloaded, tilted upwardly about its hinged edge, and said platform, when loaded with a predetermined load, being adapted to assume a substantially level position; a door hinged to the cabinet at the lower portion of its front to seal the cabinet, and a money-introducing slot provided in a front cabinet wall extending upwardly a short distance from the bottom of the cabinet, said wall being behind said door and above said moneydelivery opening; a retractible means accessible externally of the cabinet interposed between the money-delivery opening and the money-introducing slot to cover normally the former, said retractible means being spring-urged in the covering direction; a money-receiving box interposed between said slot and opening and havin corresponding openings registering respectively therewith; and blocking'means rockable with the platform and adapted to engage the retractiblemeans .to prevent movement thereof over the moneydelivery opening until the platform assumes its REFERENCES CITED level positlon.

4, Th safety delivery receptacle of u 3, The following references are of record in the wherein a finger extends from the retractible file Of this pat t: means, and the blocking means is provided with 5 t a slot for accommodating said finger when the UNITED STATES PATENTS platform assumes the level position and to permit Number Name Date said finger to move therein to release the retracti- 1,155,719 Frey Oct. 5, 1915 ble means.

CANUTO I. CERNUD'A. 1o 

